Cantrell Will Fill Triway Vacancy

Published: October 13, 1999 12:00AM

The Governing Board of the Tri-County Educational Service Center Tuesday named Gregory Cantrell to fill the vacancy on the Triway Board of Education created by the resignation of Bonnie Kaufman in August.

The Tri-County Board made the appointment after the Triway board, which has been divided down the middle on a number of recent issues, decided that it was unable to agree on an appointment.

Cantrell, a veterinarian who is a partner at The Animal Clinic in Wooster, was selected from a list of eight possible choices which also included Tammy Cruise, Greg Sautter, Arnold Alcorn, Timothy Turpin, Nancy Bogner, Glen Cutler and Russell Yoder.

Cruise and Bogner are both announced candidates for election to the Triway Local Board of Education next month. Cantrell is not a candidate and therefore will serve only at the regular November and December meetings of the board, plus special meetings as needed. The two candidates who win board seats in the Nov. 2 election will begin their terms in January.

The Tri-County board also heard three reports during its regular monthly session.

ESC consultant Lynn Meister provided the board with information concerning a $250,000 grant the Tri-County district has received to prepare entry-year teachers for Praxis assessment. Meister characterized Praxis as a "high-stakes proficiency test for teachers" mandated by the State of Ohio to start in the fall of 2002.

Meister said that entry-year teachers have two chances to pass the Praxis, which encompasses four academic domains and 19 separate criteria. If they fail to pass the test, the level of their teaching certificate is changed to a substitute teaching level.

Meister said the grant will be used to provide districts with ongoing programs designed to help them meet all entry-year requirements and train a cadre of mentor teachers.

The consultant said that 40 mentor teachers are presently being trained and that a second group will be trained next summer.

Part of the grant will be used to pay mentor teachers a stipend of $800. There will be no cost to the district.

Meister noted that the state is still grappling with how to apply Praxis standards to vocational teachers.

Timothy Frye, special education administrator, delivered to the board an administrative review, informing members about the various special needs programs, their locations, personnel involved and number of students participating.

Frye said that eight teachers and 12 staff are involved in hearing impaired, disabled handicapped and severe behavioral handicapped classes for a total of 88 students.

Donna Plunkett, director of curriculum and instruction, reported to the board on "Linking the Fine Arts Curriculum to Ohio's Proficiency Outcomes." She said the purpose of the workshop being held later this month is to give music, visual art and drama/theatre educators practical strategies to link a fine arts curriculum with proficiency testing results.

The workshop is being funded by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

Tri-County is the only educational service center in Ohio with a fine arts program.

In other business, the board:

Approved a contract with Atwood Lake Conference Center for the August 2000 Administrative Conference for $13,000.

Approved a lease agreement with Smithville First Church of God effective Oct. 1 through June 7, 2000, for pre-school space at a cost of $50 per month, plus snow removal and custodial work.

Accepted the resignation of Sandy Strebly as administrative assistant at Chippewa Local Schools.

Voted concurrence with the East Holmes Local Board of Education in declaring transportation to a number of area schools impractical.

The action allows parents of students attending those schools to seek financial remuneration from the state.